CROSSWORD 992

ACROSS

1 Pledge 20% of democratic ballot (6) 5 No, I don’t bother to include a gift (8)

9 Shofar suggesting shearer’s success? (4,4)

10 Bans cheers and jeers (6)

11 Recently retired ex-President of Israel (6,6)

13 Dance time in Toledo? (4)

14 Town with a strong Haredi presence just east of Tel Aviv (4,4)

17 Leader of Tories, developer of plans is a topping worker (8)

18 Gin - but not all of it, overturned (4) 20 Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza (12)

23 1959 epic biblical movie starring Charlton Heston as a Jewish prince (3,3)

24 Popeye’s girl said to be dressing (5-3)

25 ‘Shalom ******** ’ - formal Israeli greeting (Hebrew) (8)

26 Company floated to avoid liquidation allegedly ended up here (Gen. 8:4) (6)

DOWN

2 Backing application involving a son of Isaac (Gen. 25:25) (4)

3 Being orthodox, voters ban construction (9)

4 The Torah book of ‘Shemot’ in English (6)

5 Famous Israeli pianist and orchestral conductor (b.1942) (6,9)

6 Their job is to administer oaths, not sign (8)

7 Minor holiday in Israel - the ‘Holiday of Love’ (Hebrew) (2,1’2) 8 Daughter of Anah who Esau took as wife (Gen. 36:2) (10)

12 Celebrated Jewish-American violinist and orchestral conductor (b.1967) (6,4) 15 City, home to queen who married King David? (2 Sam. 12:24) (9)

16 Judaism’s holy scroll containing The Five Books of Moses (3,5)

19 Israeli political party formed in 2005 and dissolved in 2015 (6)

21 The Netopathite named in Jeremiah 40:8 (5)

22 Synagogue platform in front of The Ark (Hebrew) (4)